Regulatory Bodies for Heavy Metals and Metal Ions

4 Regulatory Bodies for Heavy Metals and Metal Ions 

There are certain regulatory bodies, such as the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorisation Act (SARA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of the USA, the first of which (Title III SARA) regulates the toxic inventory and emissions, while the latter (RCRA) regulates disposal of hazardous waste in general. In addition there is the Clean Air Act (CAA), which regulates the abatement of all materials in the air, and OSHA, which regulates exposure to chemicals in the workplace. The Clean Water Act (CWA) controls the limits of metal concentrations in water. 

Metals and metal ions that are regulated by these bodies are presented in Table 3.3. 

The pigments regulated for use and disposal that are most affected are antimony, arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent and trivalent chromium, lead, and nickel compounds. Lead, arsenic and cadmium-containing pigments are nearly obsolete now as plastics packaging materials. In the heavy metal family, solubility in bodily fluids is the key to toxicity. 

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